Closure



May 28, 1935. F. WESTERBECK CLOSURE Filed April 8, 1933 FIGS.

FIG. L23

Iii

FIG. 2.

Patented May 28, 1935 CLOSURE Frederick Westerbeck, University City,Mo., as-

signor to Mallinckrodt Chemical Works, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation ofMissouri Application April 8, 1933, Serial No. 665,219

4 Claims.

This invention relates to closures, and with regard to certain morespecific features, to closures for effecting hermetic seals forcontainers for volatile fluids such as ether and the like.

This invention is an improvement upon the structure set forth in myUnited States Patents 1,370,865, dated March 8, 1921 and 1,714,996,dated May 28, 1929.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision ofa closure which, under varying temperature conditions of the containerto which the closure is applied, more positively seals against escape offluid from the container; the provision of a closure of the-classdescribed which substantially eliminates relative motion between certainparts thereof under gradually va ing temperature conditions; theprovision of a closure of this class which provides for nondeieteriousrelative motion between certain parts under conditions where thetemperature varies at a more rapid rate; and the provision of sucha-closure having instead of one, a plurality of effective sealing edges.Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed outhereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations ofelements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which willbe exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, and the scope ofthe application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which 'is illustrated one of variouspossible embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a container showing the completed closurethereon;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view, similar to Fig. 1 but showing the parts ofthe container and closure in seriatim;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the parts of Fig. 2 assembled but notpressed into final position; and,

Fig. 4'is an enlarged cross section of the nozzle of the container ofFig. 1 showing the parts pressed into sealing position.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views of the drawing.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1. there is shown at numeral I asheet metal container for ether. It is to be understood that etherconstitutes one example of any of the fluids including liquids and/orgases which are diflicult to seal in the ordinary manner.

Ether has the property of being quite mobile and thus of passing throughthe smallest openings and thus effecting leakage through the ordinaryseal, except such seals as are inordinately diflicult to make, openand/or maintain. Ether also has a. low boiling point, that is to say, itwill develop a substantial vapor tension under ordinary warm weatherconditions. Thus the seal must be proof against a super normal pressureof gas. It should also be safe and easy to make and thus distinguishfrom former solder seals. Furthermore, ether is sometimes admixed withoily ingredients or the like which facilitate escape and which stain orotherwise render labels unsightly.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1, the container I is composedof tinned sheet metal and has a nozzle 3. In my said Patent 1,370,865,the material composing the nozzle was disclosed as being relatively thinand yieldable under pressure so that it would deform substantially uponapplying the closure. One of the improvements herein consists in formingthis nozzle of relatively thick material which is non-yieldable underthe pressure engendered in applying the other closure parts to bedescribed. The nozzle 3 is flared at its upper end as shown at numeral5, the flared portion also being of a rigid .character. The rigid flare5 is cylindrically sheared as shown at numeral 1 to effect and providean upper, sharp, raw edge 9,th',e sides of which are an acute angle anda lower raw edge H, the sides of which are at substantially a rightangle, due to the drawing down of the metal which would otherwise effectan obtuse angle. There is thus effected between the raw edges 9 and Hthe cylindric portion 1 which is axially positioned.

Over the edge 9 is placed a lead or other soft metal cap t2, the initialconformation of which is as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the same having adome IS, a peripheral depression i5 and a peripheral raised bead I!having a skirt l8 adapted to enclose orsurround the cylinder 1 betweenthe edges-'9 and II and overlapping the same downwardly. The fact-thatthe cap is made of soft iii'tal" (lead) permits of readily puncturingthe same and removing of the central portion so'as to open thecontainer.

Applicable above the bead ll of the cap I3 is a sheet metal binding bandl9 having an initially depressed inward periphery 2| and an outer skirt23, the latter covering the corresponding skirt of the cap l3.

To apply the closure to the nozzle 3, the lead cap i2 is placed inposition with the bead ll substantially resting upon the raw edge 9. Theband i9 is placed in position over the bead ll. Then forming dies areapplied simultaneously to apply axial and radial forces in thedirections illustrated by the arrows in Fig. 4, thus forming the skirts23 and I8 of the band l9 and cap I! inwardly beneath the raw edge I I,and at the same time forcing the upper portion of the band l9 to assumea fiat contour 25. At the same time that the fiat contour 25 is formed,the underside of the sheet composing the band I! will also assume arelatively flat contour 21 against the lead of as in the structure ofsaid patent;

the cap which assumes a fiat shape upon its top surface. Also, the rawedge 9 will seat into the lead.

The band l9 and the nozzle 3 are composed of the same material, namely,tinned sheets of steel, the thermal coeilicients of which aresubstantially the same. Thus if the completed closure be subjected togradually varying temperature changes, the nozzle 3 and the band l9 willexpand and contract at substantially the same rate and there will besubstantially no relative motion between the two at the regionsembracing the bead ll of the lead cap i 3. Thus the raw edges 9 and H,in turn embraced by the lead, and upon which the seal depends primarily,are not worked loose. It is to be understood that although the nozzle 3and band l9 are composed of the same material, they need not be of thesame thickness.

Should the temperature change at a rapid rate, the equality of thermalcoefiicients of expansion will be of small help, because the band i9 maybecome heated before heat flows to the nozzle 3, or vice versa, thuscausing relative motion between the two and, under the conditions of theprior art, a slight working of the lead at the raw edge 9. Thiscondition is met by the present improvement because the band i 9 isflattened as at 25 and consequently also on the underside as at 21, thelead cap l2 also having the upper fiat surface 3| presented against thelower flat surface 21. These flat surfaces, not being interlocked,permit the infinitesimal motion required to relieve any possibleloosening strain at the raw edges 9 and II.

Unlike the structure in my Patent 1,370,865, when the cap i2 and bandiii are forced around the nozzle 3, the nozzle 3 being heavy does notexpand, and the same is rigid instead of flexible Therefore the nozzle 3retains its original condition in which the raw edge 9 is presentedendwise, or to put it in other words, is presented at the top of thecontainer. In my said former construction (Patent 1,370,865) theflexibility of the nozzle permitted the bending down of the upper edgewhen the cap and ring were applied so as to present the raw edge 9substantially radially and on a flange. By presenting the raw edge asherein, that is, axially,'instead of radially as in said former patent,and permitting said relative motion between the surfaces 21 and M, Iavoid substantially all relative motion at the raw edge 9 under alltemperature conditions, whether changing slowly or quickly. This is theadvantage of this construction over that shown in my said patent,wherein the radial presentation of the edge. while effective for mostconditions, did permit of relative motion between the lead cap and thenozzle at the raw sealing edge under quick changes of temperature. Thus,this im ovement makes my former closure effective under any and alltemperature conditions, and materially extends its usefulness.

It should also be noted that the relatively thick nozzle 3, incontradistinction to the relatively thin and flexible nozzle of my saidpatent, also permits of the formation of the distinct raw edge i ipresented endwise. Also, two raw sealing edges are obtained instead ofthe single one as heretofore. The lower raw edge II, the result of thethickness of the nozzle 3, is formed at an angle of substantially ninetydegrees, as shown.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of theinvention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in carrying out the above constructionswithout departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended thatall matter contained in the above description or shown in theaccompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

I claim:

1. A container, a substantially rigid nozzle on said container, saidnozzle having a cylindric end, said cylindric eno having an upper andaxially presented sharp sealing edge having an acute angle and anaxially presented lower edge at least as great as a right angle, a softmetal cap seating on said end and having a depending soft metal flangesurrounding said cylindric portion, and a binding band closely fitted tosaid soft metal cap and surrounding the flange thereof opposite the saidsharp edge and having its margin turned inwardly to confine the softmetal against the scaling edges and about said cylindric porion.

2. A container, a nozzle on said container, said nozzle having acylindric end and a pair of axially presented sharp sealing edges one ofwhich has an acute angle, a soft metal cap Seating on the end of saidnozzle and having 2. depending soft metal flange surrounding saidcylindric portion, and a binding band closely fitted to said soft metalcap and surrounding the flange thereof opposite the said sharp edges andhaving its margin turned inwardly to confine the soft metal against thesealing edges and said cylindric portion, said band and said cap havinga relatively flat contacting conformation adjacent the outer sealingedge, said conformation being located substantiallyat right angles tosaid axial cylindric portion.

3. A container, a nozzle on said container, said nozzle having acylindric end and an upper axially presented sharp sealing edge of anacute angle, a soft metal cap seating on the end of said nozzle andhaving a depending soft metal flange surrounding said cylindric portion,and a binding band closely fitted to said soft metal cap and surroundingthe flange thereof opposite the said sharp edge and having its marginturned inwardly to confine the soft metal against the said sealing edgeand said cylindric portion, the band and cap being adjacently deformedto form a fiat contact portion at right angles to the cylindric end andalso with respect to thedirection of presentation of said sealing edge,said nozzle being of such rigidity that the force effected upon and inapplying the band and cap does not expand said nozzle.

4. A container, a nozzle on said container, said nozzle having acylindric end and a pair of sharp sealing edges, a soft metal capseating on the end of said nozzle and having a depending soft metalflange surrounding said cylindric portion, and a binding band closelyfitted to said soft metal cap and surrounding the flange thereofopposite the said sharp edges and having its margin turned inwardly toconfine the soft metal against the sealing edges and said eylindricportion, the band and cap being deformed to form a relatively flatadjoining portion at right angles to the cylinder end, said nozzle beingof such rigidity that the effect upon pressing on the band and cap doesnot substantially deform said nozzle, the nozzle

